The One and Only Ivan Art and Creativity Quotes

Ivan is not only comparing the quality of his art to Julia's, but what she chooses to represent (or not represent) in her work, for example things that aren't real. Ivan is quick to judge his ability and his style as an artist, and his willingness to get down on himself just might have something to do with his life in captivity.

Art allows Ivan to forget that he lives in a cage, or that he's had a lonely existence. Ivan not only lives in the present moment when he's creating, he seems to transcend the space-time continuum. Has Ivan discovered the secret to happiness? Should he be doing the lecture circuit, speaking to students and professors in university art departments around the country?

Ivan seems to think art is something he was born with a predisposition for. Looked at from this angle, his art making seems like a way to lay claim to himself—it's his constant.